Stories by Bimbola Oyesola, 08033246177
The Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) has warned the Federal Government of impending industrial crises, should the management of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) go ahead with its planned recruitment of 370 staffers.
In a letter addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, ASSBIFI said the plan by the NSITF to employ another 370 officers from the rank of managers and above into the service of the organisation was unnecessary.
ASSIBIF president, Oyinkansola Olasanoye, said the union was against the plans to recruit new staff because the agency was yet to cater for its current staff.
She said: “We have been informed by our NSITF unit on recent plans by management of the NSITF to employ another 370 officers from the rank of managers and above into the service of the organisation and this was subsequently confirmed by the minister of labour and employment at a meeting with him on Friday, December 15, 2017.
“As a responsible union representing Nigerian workers, we are not opposing generation of employment for Nigerians. Our concern is the present situation at NSITF, which calls for caution.
“Aside from the implication of being top-heavy in a 21st Century organisation, NSITF presently has over 5,000 workforce. With an additional 370 staff and its consequent increase in remuneration, we are worried that, at this rate, the organisation may eventually be unable to meet the obligations for which it was set up”.
Olasanoye said the NSITF was presently funded mainly from the contributions by the private sector through the Employees’ Compensation Scheme, hence, it is morally wrong for government, which is yet to contribute anything from public servants in its employ, to overburden the institution by not only insisting on employment where there are no vacancies, but that they must be at the management level.
She stated that NSITF has several long unresolved staff welfare issues, which, among others, include improper staff placement arising from the previous lopsided recruitment.
“For example, newly employed graduates were placed on the rank of assistant manager, instead of entry officer level, making it difficult or causing avoidable delays in promoting experienced hands,” she said, adding that there were other issues such as, “Outstanding dtatutory deductions not remitted (Pensions and Housing Funds); outstanding allowances/remuneration not yet paid (Education allowance for example is due since September 2017) and salary scale overlapping.”
“Having at one time or the other drawn the attention of NSITF management to these issues during the year, including a visitation by our national president without a remarkable resolution, it is totally unacceptable that the same management will now embark on mass recruitment to further jeopardise staff welfare issues,” she said.
The ASSBIFI president appealed to the federal government to immediate intervene to put the current unnecessary recruitment on hold to avert avoidable industrial crises.
“This nation cannot afford to let NSITF fail just a few months after the demise of a sister institution, National Economic Reconstruction Fund (NERFUND) for similar reasons,” she said.